"Light is easy to love, show me your darkness and let me love you anyway."

* * *
 

The sun slipped into the western sea, and the stars filled the sky above as Avni walked around the rooftop patio.

Her lips unconsciously tugged into a soft smile as her gaze flickered at the beautiful cabana. Off-white linen draped around the thick mattress, which was big enough to be a bed, gave a tent line structure with cushions pressed near the corners. The cabana illuminated and sparkled with the fairy lights and flower chandelier set in the center. The candles enclosed in pearl glass jards shimmered.

Avni glanced around the small garden area in front of the cabana, inhaling the captivating aroma filled in the air produced by the sparkling perfume candles and the subtle fragrance from the flower petals. Various courses for dinner sat neatly on the small dining table placed around the corner not far away from the beautiful canopy.

She shook her head slightly, glancing at the extravagant but warm gesture. "This man loves to go overboard."

"Not really."

"Goodness!" She hissed. Her heart nearly leaped out of her body when the loud voice boomed throughout the terrace, enough to scare her. "Can you please stop doing that?"

"Stop doing what?" Viransh came by her side and stared at her in confusion, dreading that she didn't like the arrangements he planned for tonight.

"Stop sneaking up on me like this!" Avni finally turned to look at him and sucked in a sharp breath as she got a whiff of him dressed in faded jeans and a sweatshirt with the sleeves rolled, revealing a generous share of his forearm.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He blew a sigh of relief, placing his hands on her waist, leading to the dining table.

Viransh's actions caught her off-guard as she stiffened beneath as his touch ignited a hot sensation down her body. He heard her intake a deep, calming breath, finally relaxing as they approached the table. Pursing his lips, he pulled out the chair for her overlooking her arched eyebrows at the gentlemanly manners before she thanked him and sat down.

"So, Mr. Malik, this special arrangement is for?" Her eyes darted towards the two dinner settings table and tall candlesticks glued inside an elevated drinking glass sat in the center.

Viransh's gaze drifted to her face, his chest squeezing tighter. A low sigh parted his lips, and he shook his head, "Just wanted to celebrate our last day in LA before we-" He trailed off, trying to find the words.

Leaning back in her seat, she stared into his cognac glares, whispering, completing his unfinished sentence, "before we go back to our separate paths."

"Strange of you to assume that our paths won't cross again when our past encounters say otherwise." He replied, arching his one eyebrow while his eyes flickered with dread of not seeing her again.

She gave him a dubious look, not liking the verity of stumbling across him multiple times over the past few weeks. To stop her mind from dwindling over this thought, she tried to pivot the topic of their conversation, "You planned everything alone?"

"Uh-huh," Viransh said lamely, his eyes darting toward the ground and his mind whirling back the conversation he had with his younger brother last night.

Last night ~

Placing the device near his ear, he groaned, waiting for the person to pick up the call. He heaved a sigh of relief as he heard a beep followed by shuffling in the background before the loud voice of his brother boomed from the other line. "This better be important, Vir. I had to pause the porn video to pick up your call."

Viransh rolled his eyes, already frustrated and done for the day. "Well then, I graciously thank you for sparing precious time for your poor brother." His hands raked over his hair as he asked, "Now, give me tips to impress a girl."

The line went silent for a while, and he thought the call got disconnected. He pulled the phone away from his ear when he heard a loud gasp, "What?"

As soon as that word left his mouth, he mentally groaned for not being a smooth-talker like Vihaan. For the first time in so many years, he wished he was like his younger brother. Vihaan's better with the ladies. He would probably convince Avni to run away with him in less than ten minutes.

Viransh never went to any trouble flattering a girl, much less a headstrong lady like Avni, who had denigrated him in the past days more than anyone ever did him all his life. He met her, and the sky burned, and so did he.

He heaved a sigh when his brother started throwing strings of questions.

"Tell me, who's that girl? When and how did you meet her?"

"It's me who is supposed to ask questions, not you."

"Fine. What was your question again, brother?"

Viransh closed his eyes for a brief moment at the mocking tone of his brother. He muttered, gritting his teeth, "I am sure you know it very well."

He heard Vihaan chuckling softly on the other line. "Does she likes flowers? You can start by giving her flowers?"

Viransh paused. His mind recalled the scorched ashes he found in Avni's room. She'll burn those flowers to ashes, and if not more, she'll dance on charred ashes in front of me.

He cleared his throat, shaking to reality, "This won't work. Tell me something else."

"Are you planning on sleeping with her? Chase around. Pay your ticket to her bed with poems and compliments. Be as calm as your can so that the lady won't understand you're desperate."

Viransh's eyes widened as he groped for precise words to clarify his brother, "I'm not desperate, and what do you mean by paying a ticket to bed?"

He heard his brother's confused voice. "Aren't you trying to lure her to sleep with you?"

"Oh god. Can you please stop assuming things?"

"Can you at least be clear with your demands? Gosh, even a lady would be less demanding than you."

"You know what? Your suggestions aren't helping. Bye."

"Hey, hey, what do you mean by that? I am the best person who can-"

A low sigh parted his lips as he disconnected the call and turned when he felt someone's presence. He stiffened and rolled his eyes at Pratik, who had a knowing smile etched on his lips.

"Sir, I can help you." The assistant told him cheerfully, immediately wincing when he received a deadly glare from his boss and a tsk sound ripping from Karan's throat.

Viransh rubbed a hand over his face before raking it through his hair, a defeated breath leaving his lungs. "I'll deduct ten percent of your salary if your idea won't work."

Pratik's horrid eyes met Karan's for a brief moment, who had his most famous inscrutable expression marred on his face. He turned his attention to Viransh and muttered, "Sir, are you planning to sleep with her?"

Sweat broke on the assistant forehead when he received a glare followed by a warning, "Twenty percent of your salary."

Viransh raised his eyebrows when the Pratik nodded and started giving him suggestions. It took them a few hours to execute the plan, but he was happy with how everything turned out to be.

Present time~

His gaze lingered on Avni's face as he grumbled, "I had some help. A lot of help."

The woman's eyelids glided down on the dinner and the cabana as she praised, "It's lovely."

His lips twitched upward, and his eyes crinkled in the corner as he offered her a gentle smile. He mentally patted his back, proud of himself for choosing Pratik as his assistant.

They both silently dug into their food. Fifteen minutes into their dinner, Avni looked up, narrowing her eyes at him, "Are we putting off alcohol tonight?"

"I don't trust you near alcohol after the stunt you pulled off a night ago. Do I need to remind you that you're a wild drunk?"

Her eyes widened as she swallowed down the embarrassment. She gave Viransh an incredulous and offended look, and a jolt of panic surged through his spine, noting her mortified expression.

"Um...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring about that night."

Avni's waved her hands dismissively in the air, acting nonchalant. "It's okay. I tend to do weird things after getting tipsy."

His amber eyes studied her briefly and smiled faintly. While having dinner, his eyes occasionally kept straying to her face and her low neckline. "You look beautiful." He finally said.

Avni smiled, resting her hands on the table as she leaned in, muttering, "Took you long enough to come up with that compliment, Mr. Malik."

"It's just...I didn't notice you thoroughly," he said quickly, his cheeks pinkening slightly.

"Thank you," she said and glanced down at her food, ignoring the heated look he was casting her way and the warm blush that was surely coating her cheeks.

He chuckled. "Why do I feel you seem uncomfortable with my compliments? Didn't anyone ever tell you you're beautiful?"

"For using me as a source of objectification? Yes." Avni answered, unable to keep the curtness out of her voice. "I get it most of the time."

Viransh grew quiet for a while. He leaned in. His voice was deadly calm, and his expression hardening. "Too bad for them 'cause I'll have to spend my days smoothening them down on the floor fixture."

Her heart skipped a beat, and she sucked in a deep breath at his possessive tone. Pulling herself together, she forced a little laugh. "Don't worry. I can kick one ball or two, and now I have a muscular nanny to look after them."

A small smile tugged on Viransh's lips. "Oh, I know."

The rest of the dinner went on without any more tense moments except when a waiter came to serve them a tall glass filled with a milkshake.

Avni squinted her eyes between Viransh and the milkshake. She then noticed two straws skillfully placed in between the glass. Her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion before realization dawned on her mind, and her eyes instantly snapped at him.

Viransh ignored her glare and silently pulled himself closer to her. Bumping the two straws as if clinking two champagne flutes, he whispered, 'To an eventful week in LA.'

She felt her cheeks slightly burn when he caught her staring at him. She nibbled on her lower lips when she saw his cognac eyes flitting towards her, silently urging her to join. Nodding her head, she pushed the straw into her mouth, sipping on the chocolate milkshake.

* * *

After the dinner, they sat close to each other, breathing in the same sweet air, their heart beating to the same rhythm as they watched the beauty of the starry sky.

"Tell me a story Avni." Viransh finally said after a prolonged silence.

A frown settled on her face as she asked, "About what?"

"Tell me whatever story comes to your mind. Anything."

Avni glanced at the moon one last time before turning her attention to him, gazing at his face, her eyes unreadable as she narrated the only story which came into her mind.

"Once upon a time, there lived a boy with big, round ebony eyes hidden behind a spheroidal glasses. He always had this large orb glowing in his hands that he carried everywhere, even in his classes." A small smile unconsciously tugged on her lips as she carried on. "You should've seen his boyish beam. It was alone enough to set anyone's dark sky gleam. He lived in darkness with an equally dark sky because the proud twinkling stars withdrew to brighten his sky, but he had that orb, his little moon, enough to spread little light in the expanse of the gloom."

"Everything went well until a devil and witch entered his life. The boy fell in love with the witch at first sight. The witch wanted the devil's love which would give her face a glow, but it came with a price, for she had to kill the moon from someone's sky. The selfish witch enticed the poor boy to offer the moon, and like an innocent little lover, he let her diminish his moon so that she could find her solace and he would get light from her glowing face."

"The devil accepted the shattered moon, for he always craved the light shimmering from the witch's glow, but he was envious that her light shimmered in someone else's globe. He only desired her light for himself, so he killed that poor boy's sky, taking all the little happiness, leaving him in cold and dark to die."

She choked on her last words. She looked up and found Viransh staring at her with indescribable emotions adorned on his face. She squirmed in her seat, dreading, waiting for his reaction.

"A quite tragedy," Viransh said. He glanced at her blanched expression, and it didn't take him long to comprehend to whom she was referring as the devil. "I wonder if the witch knew the devil was this vicious. Why would she want to be loved by him if she knew what kind of person he was?"

"A part of her knew the devil very well, but she didn't concede it because she was afraid the devil wouldn't love her just like he loved his hell. And she kept waiting for him to love her back. When her heart perished, she could only think of the innocent soul who loved her even though her craziness for the devil destroyed him," She smiled while her mind was still hazy. With slight hesitation in her voice, she muttered, "The witch was pathetic to choose the devil."

He slowly reclined his body near her, gazing at her face, "Whatever she did, she did it for love. I feel remorseful for the innocent little lover who died at the hands of the devil, but I pity the devil."

"But I pity witch," Avni said, swinging her legs over the small gap between their chairs. "She wasted her whole life for someone who could never give her what she wanted. The witch may be strong enough to fight for what she wanted, but she wasn't brave enough to walk out of the story learning she got herself entangled in the wrong one." She muttered, her gaze unhurriedly flitting on his face as she carried on. "She deserved whatever happened to her. No one gains happiness by destroying someone else's."

"Maybe she deserved it, but people fall in love without reason, without even wanting to. You can't predict it, and that's the beauty of love. The witch fell in love, and she understood the real love, even though she learned it the hard way," He smiled, several emotions dashing in his amber pools. "If you never tasted a bad apple, you would not appreciate a good apple, and just like that, sometimes, you need to experience love to understand love."

Flustered by Viransh's words, she looked away from him and stretched her hand over her hand, lowering back on the lounge, her eyes drifting to the sky and a star, brightest but distant.

Viransh's brows dipped down in a frown, wondering who was the innocent little lover. He parted his mouth to ask her about it, but he snapped it shut when he found her looking at the sky.

In the last few days, he learned that Avni is a queen of wordless stares that ask or say more than any words could. It unsettled him because he couldn't look away from her when she did that. Her eyes had their own vocabulary that held the magnitude of the black hole where all her secrets hid between them.

After contemplating for a few minutes, Avni swallowed uneasily and asked him, "Have you ever been in love?"

A smile glistened on Viransh's face. "I never had a chance to." His eyes hovered over Avni's confused face as he carried on, "I preferred the straightforward, mutualistic kind of arrangements."

Avni's face curled in annoyance as the definition of mutualistic arrangement dawned on her senses. Her stomach twisted in a knot at the thought of him screwing the brains out of a nameless, faceless woman. "Then you must surely have a long line of pretty women to keep sex interesting for you?"

If Avni's question bothered him, he didn't show it because he smiled faintly. "Do you think I'm a playboy?"

"I don't know, you tell me." She shrugged.

Viransh laughed and shook his head. "Sex was never just a sex to me." His whiskey flickered into her dark orbs for a brief movement. "I respect and appreciate women for whatever they are and what they could be, but I'm never more than mildly interested until I know her well enough. I like to take things further when I realize that I want more of her so that when we have sex, it would mean something to me and the lady involved."

Avni's eyes widened in surprise. The dark fog of anger receded her system, and an impressive smile broke on her face. "Can I touch you? I wanna see if you are real."

Viransh grabbed her hand, giving it a slight squeeze. "I can assure you I am a human being under the capability of making mistakes as much like any other person."

Her heart stopped for the longest second until it started pounding hard in her chest and her stomach twisted in a knot. She cleared her throat and pulled her hand out of the man's grasp, acting as if his words didn't stir warm feelings in her heart. Not sure how to respond, she turned her gaze away from him.

"The sky looks so different when you got someone you love up there," Avni rumored, staring up at the sky. The moon was intoxicated, and the stars looked drunk. She smiled at the stars as if they knew all her secrets.

In his response, Viransh just nodded his head, assuming she was talking about her mother. His eyes darted at her face under the moonlights. The gentle breeze caressed her hair, and his hands twitched, aching to brush them away so they won't cover the precious and rare view.

He lowered himself to the lounger, pulling his hands behind his head, looking up at the velvety sky in the same position as Avni. "You miss your mother a lot, don't you?" He asked, his voice gentle and soft.

Lines of confusion etched on her forehead, wondering why he would bring up the topic of her mother. Nevertheless, her hands instantly curled around her pendant as she answered, "I do. A lot." She tilted her head toward him and looked straight into his whiskey eyes. "She was the best woman I'd ever known. Losing her was the most difficult phase of my life."

Viransh didn't speak. He kept looking at her with deep, indescribable emotions swirling in his gaze as she continued, "Every day, I wish I could be a better, perfect daughter she deserved."

"I bet your mother loved all of you, even your imperfections and flaws." His eyes were calm, while his voice as anyone could hear and as soft as a breath of even. "Your flaws are always perfect for the heart meant to love you."

Avni closed her eyes briefly, filling a long, calming breath into her lungs. 'Only if I knew. An exasperated sigh left her mouth as she looked away from him. His words and eyes stir in her soul, restless, wild anticipation as if he understands her more than she did herself.

Viransh's eyes darkened with appreciation as his gaze swept from her face to her feet. Her white skirt reached her mid of her thighs, showing a view of her slender legs, while the white satin blouse snugly embraced her body. Under the moonlight, she looked devastatingly beautiful, and he kept staring at her like she was a dream.

He looked away from her and back up at the sky with a thoughtful expression. The moon was shining brightly with the silvery lines enkindling the velvety sky. At that moment, he was a deserted night, and she was the moon. He croaked in a low, strained voice as he swallowed hard, "The moon reminds me of you, so beautiful, so bright, and yet so far." He looked over at her, expressing, "You are like this moon. A part of you has always hidden away."

Avni's gaze settled on his face, taking in strange emotion agitating on his face,